The First Piece of Great News About a Back-To-Work Initiative You've Ever Read: The Emergence "Be Your Best Self" Programme

LONDON, January 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

"BE YOUR BEST SELF" LEAP-FROGS "WORK PROGRAMME" AND OTHERS -

Working with unemployed clients from London Job Centres in conjunction with Islington Council's Employment Sustainability team, Emergence concluded a 12-month project funded by the DWP. Emergence achieved amongst the highest job sustainability outcomes of any provider: 74% still in employment after 3 months after finding work, beating our DWP job-placement target by 170%, and 300% better than other competitors.

OFFICIAL DWP PERFORMANCE FIGURES. "EMERGENCE EMERGES SECOND TO NONE"

1. 170% OUT-PERFORMANCE OF DWP-SET JOB ACHIEVEMENT TARGETS FROM FINAL COHORT.
2. 73.9% JOB SUSTAINABILITY- A SECTOR LEADING RESULT COMPARED TO 24% ON AVERAGE.
3. 44.3% OF OUR UNEMPLOYED CLIENTS FOUND EMPLOYMENT AFTER AN AVERAGE OF JUST 7 WEEKS
4. 65% WERE IN WORK 12 WEEKS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAMME
5. 10% MENTORED INTO STARTING NEW BUSINESSES VIA THE NEW ENTERPRISE ALLOWANCE SCHEME.
6. 86% COMPLETION RATE DURING PROGRAMME 1, RISING TO 100% BY PROGRAMME 3.

WHO IS EMERGENCE?

Emergence Opportunities Ltd is a non-profit organisation (unlike private sector Emergence Solutions Ltd), eager to work with like-minded organisations helping communities/people get back into, and more importantly stay in, employment. Emergence's unique model which is based on the practical application and integration of well established theories, combines Applied Positive Psychology with an integrative multi-disciplinary strengths-oriented "Be Your Best Self" approach, psychometric evaluations meshed with the science of Emergence Theory. This revolutionary approach based on proven methods achieved unparalleled results for the London unemployed to find and stay in full-time employment.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS PROGRAMME IS NOT  ASSOCIATED WITH DOWNING STREET'S NUDGE UNIT OR ITS RECOMMENDATION TO USE PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS IN JOB CENTRES TO ASSESS BENEFIT ENTITLEMENT.

A PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Does your organisation want to achieve sector-leading results, providing clients with the highest chance of developing the confidence/motivation to find and stay in work?

Emergence is seeking organisations to work with jointly and independently of the DWP to maximise the opportunity these outstanding results represent for the unemployed. We are looking to finance unemployed clients to form a Cohort for our 8-12 week 1-to-1 mentoring/coaching wellbeing programme in February/March, when job seeking and morale is at it lowest. Emergence is actively seeking partner(s) to fund a new programme right now. Help the most disadvantaged gain access to Emergence, one of the most successful programmes ever run in the UK to help the unemployed.

This is an opportunity to be involved in a trail-blazing programme now in its second year. Help the local community share in our success! Please email us in the first instance and you will be contacted by return to explore opportunities further:  community@emergence.co.uk 

ABOUT JULIAN ALEXANDER, CEO

Julian Alexander MSc MILM, is the CEO and Founder of Emergence, which develops programmes to deliver innovative cutting-edge solutions with quantitatively measurable results for clients, at a personal level and with teams and organisations seeking to achieve positive change and results through increased self-awareness, wellbeing, satisfaction, and resilience. He is an ILM Member and holds qualifications in coaching and counseling from UCL, CityLit, ICA, has studied hypnotherapy, and was awarded an MSc in Applied Positive Psychology (Merit) from UEL. He is also an Associate Editor of Positive Psychology Quarterly and speaks at leadership and management conferences.

How does this compare to the Government's own Work Programme and other back-to-work programmes, which have achieved poor results and press?

The Government's own Work Programme was launched in 2011 with the aim to get long-term unemployed people into jobs. Their own target was to get 5.5% into jobs lasting 6 months or more, but after its first year, the result was just 3.5%. In Summer 2012 MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee said the programme's record was "poor" but "improving."

In contrast, independent providers contracted by the DWP to supplement or deliver the Work Programme on behalf of the Government achieved slightly better results of 24.9% (against contracted targets of 27.5%).

Emergence, by contrast achieved the outstanding result of getting 65% of its clients into work - a 150% beat of its DWP-set target, and a staggering 73.9% job-sustainability figure - a beat of 170%, and a minimum of 300% better than other back-to-work providers.

So why is it so successful? It is designed to help the client, not DWP statistics.

 It uncovers clients' key Strengths (in Positive Psychology terms). It is non-mandatory. It builds trust & confidence.

1. Establishes and improves the client's emotional state of mind, attitude and engagement with life by utilising a series of 11 scientifically validated tests and evaluations. This gives rise to a better relationship with the client's own self-awareness and identity, increased self-awareness, optimism, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, arousing a desire to achieve. This takes place in one-to-one non-mandatory confidential sessions
2. As we broaden and build on the progress made earlier in the program this leads to optimism about the future: determination and resilience to rise to life's challenges and become their "best self," benefitting from higher self-esteem and self-confidence: a stronger person ready to seek out and seize new challenges and find employment.
3. Ongoing development and support to assist building the clients CV-writing and interviewing skills working and support after the conclusion of the programme with access to resources to assist them further develop these.

This programme is designed to give clients a deep sense of meaning and purpose in life, increased wellbeing, resilience, and optimism along with higher self-esteem and self confidence; a stronger person ready to seek out and seize new challenges and opportunities, and get into - and stay in - work.

1. This approach is unique. It offers people an opportunity to see themselves as enhanced, stronger; a more positive self-image in which trying   = success becomes a self-evident equation and outcome.

1. The client is empowered to seek out work, aware of their skills, strengths, and potential as never before. They are going to want to find work. They will have new inner resources to draw on and new resilience to continue trying until their goal is reached.

1. Emergence offers a way out of the psychological benefits-dependent mindset: a way forward for clients, encouraging a permanent change in attitude, for now and the future. For an employer, it is almost as if they've already had their first interview. They compete the programme able to articulate their abilities skills and desires as never before, engendering trust and respect at the interview stage, and increasing their determination to find work

1. Equally important is the understanding and acceptance by the end of the programme of the notion of taking personal responsibility for actions and life in general: in particular the need to respect society's expectations and how to maximise their own potential by doing so.

1. It also develops and understanding of the need to time-manage effectively, eg. turn up on time, liaise with their future employer as a responsible adult, and treat their job with the respect it deserves having understood that by showing that they take their position and responsibilities seriously, they can now be trusted valued team members

1. This will engender longevity in their employment rather than simply end up being a process of entering and exiting a new position due to a lack of commitment and conviction.

Emergence is highly structured in nature: it uncovers strengths, reveals and improves emotional wellbeing, engages clients with self-realisation techniques and writing exercises, encourages them to open up and express their thoughts and ideas, and finally come up with a 5-year plan and a method for identifying goals and targets to aim for with using their newly-discovered strengths. They regain control over their lives and ambitions, able to make decisions and take action.

TESTIMONIALS

1) Dear Julian Alexander,

I am writing to commend you on all your kind support and advice during my Emergence program which I took part with your company in March this year. The program is such a breath of fresh air that I am now successfully back in full time employment thanks to your guidance and training and the time you spent with me to make this transition become a reality.  

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to learn new job hunting skills such as improving my interview techniques, having a positive mental attitude, updating my Cover letter and CV and also you patiently listened and answered accordingly without showing any signs of frustration.  

Not only have I gained a job but a new career with a firm that I can grow and be successful with, all this wouldn't have been possible without your coaching expertise.  Emergence has taught me about relationships at work and my own personal experiences, stress management and balance, spirituality and personal growth, career planning and development, motivation and time management and many more skills.

I want to express my deepest gratitude for believing in me. You have been an excellent friend, teacher, mentor and a great inspiration for me. You have inspired me to pursue my goals with hard work and dedication. You have shown me the value of honesty, sincerity and trust in business. I truly appreciate and value everything I have learned from you. It will forever remain a major contributor behind my success and achievements. I really look forward to the day I can do the same for someone else. Thank you, once again, for your time, support and patience. - Client, 2013

2) Hi Julian,

Hope all is well with you and your family and hope your business is going well too.  

I just wanted to keep you updated on my progress with my job at J Crew.I  started employment in October with a 20 hour part time contract as a sales associate however after just 4 weeks of hard work and dedication i have shown my superiors my abilities in selling,customer service and in building client relationships so just this week the Vice President and my store director have personally kept a eye on my work since I have joined have now offered me a full time position on 40 hour contract as a fully fledged personal shopper/stylist which also includes increasing brand awareness in London. i am extremely happy with the direction my career is going and always thankful to you for all your support during my days seeking employment, its all overwhelming. Have a great Christmas and best wishes for 2014. - Client, 2013

3) "Emergence has definitely been very influential for me and I have certainly seen a change in response for the jobs I have applied for.  The course has risen awareness of my personal strengths which I was otherwise unaware of, and consequently underselling myself in many of my previous applications.  It has added new meanings to how I perhaps view my abilities and what I have to give to others, particularly in what I can contribute towards a future employer.

Not only is it informative, but Julian is very good and dedicated to finding an individuals key abilities.  It has improved my CV, my outlook ... and as a result feedback from job applications has improved dramatically. 

This is not a generic course unlike some I have attended, it is definitely tailored for each individual, the questionnaires taken give a very real and accurate profile of ones character and should not be underestimated.  It has been groundbreaking for my personal job search, but I can see this benefiting those in employment too. 

I am glad to have attended the course. I would recommend this to anyone who takes themselves seriously to better themselves and fulfill their potential." - Client 2013, JC

4) "In the time that I was gong to the 8-sessions of emergence, I feel that I benefitted greatly. I found the course to be conducted professionally, as well as how it was delivered. I also found the course extremely helpful when it came to finding my own personal skills. The course itself met my needs.

What I feel really stands out about this course is that it is run by someone who is easy to talk to, and helpful but pushes his client into going in the right direction with job interviews.  

 In doing this, he does mock interviews to not only give an idea of what will be asked, but also to help his client on how to answer. Overall, I really suggest taking this course. It's something that you can gain a lot from. " -Client 2013 E H-T

5) "Julian combines questionnaires to audit your current state of well-being and strengths.  He combines the results of these to identify what positive steps a person can take to increase his or her levels of personal satisfaction. The well-being Questionnaires were remarkably useful for me.  They also showed me very clearly why my life looks the way it does right now (as opposed to how I had expected it to look at this point).After I completed the questionnaires - which didn't take particularly long - Julian analysed the results, and then we had a conversation.  The outcome of that conversation was to work out what I need to do to take more responsibility for increasing my own sense of personal well-being and self-actualisation.

I did the questionnaires last February, and nearly a year later, the results are still influencing my choices.  In fact, the more I work on my own steps towards self-realisation, the more relevant the results become. I think the way Julian combines these questionnaires, and the way that he handled the follow up conversation, has had enormous value for me." - PB- coach and trainer, private client 2012

Contact: community@emergence.co.uk / +44-20-3640-6652